suspension recomendation

SAYNOTORICE

New Member

Aug 21, 2003

152

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0

Massachusetts

Aug 10, 2004

#1

• Aug 10, 2004

• #1

i need to replace my suspension badly....my plan was to replace all the bushings with energy suspension urethane ones...mike dez at DEZ racing recommended ford racing springs, and either KYB's or Tockico blues, it is purely a street car....i know the Tockico's are a bit more expensive, but is it worth it???...also are there any other options for a daily driven street stang on a tight (college student so i currently owe $33,000 in loans) budget??? any help is apreciated

 

D

dromeda

New Member

Apr 17, 2004

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Aug 10, 2004

#2

• Aug 10, 2004

• #2

I'd go with the bilsteins (actually I did go with the bilsteins), set cost 459 shipped from ebay. I can vouch for the guy it's where I got mine. ANYthing is better than stock. Especially old stock struts and shocks.

Urethane bushings are a little stiffer than stock rubber and I myself have the Ford Racing C springs and love them.

 

9

9 Deuce GT

Member

Dec 10, 2003

550

1

16

Geneva, NY

Aug 11, 2004

#3

• Aug 11, 2004

• #3

Another vote for Bilstein. Deffinetly get quality shocks and match the springs to them.

 

90mustangGT

I felt sorry for girls because

Founding Member

Jan 15, 2002

2,773

17

89

Dallas, GA

Aug 11, 2004

#4

• Aug 11, 2004

• #4

The mans on a budget here.

I think if you got a full poly kit and replaced all your bushings and did some better springs and either KYB and Tokico's it would make a world of difference. Billstiens and all are nice, but thier price tag is up there, you get what you pay for, but is it worth the debt to you???

 

D

dromeda

New Member

Apr 17, 2004

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Aug 11, 2004

#5

• Aug 11, 2004

• #5

Budget yeah, but if he's considering tokico's might as well consider bilsteins, price isn't all that different. KYB on the other hand is dirt cheap.

[Edit]

I was thinking the tokico illuminas, the HPs are rather cheaper. I'd get tokico over kyb.

[/Edit]

 

8

87'GTstang

New Member

Feb 16, 2004

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Aug 11, 2004

#6

• Aug 11, 2004

• #6

Shoot, go for monroes if you want cheap.......

Bilsteins are mighty nice though. Got them on the stang ($459 from ebay also ) and the car doesn't even jiggle over a bump - goes over them and that's it.

Just out of curiosity, what is tempting or "making" you replace all this stuff (I did mine due to 300k on the car lol)?

 

D

dromeda

New Member

Apr 17, 2004

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Aug 11, 2004

#7

• Aug 11, 2004

• #7

87'GTstang said:

(I did mine due to 300k on the car lol)?

Click to expand...

Holy sizzle steaks! You had the stock struts and shocks on it for 300k?

 

Michael Yount

Mustang Master

Apr 10, 2002

9,039

6

79

Charlotte, NC

Aug 11, 2004

#8

• Aug 11, 2004

• #8

All the quality suspension components/bushings won't do you much good if the factory unibody is flexing like crazy as they do when stock. I'd do some bracing (subframe connectors, strut towers, etc.) first, and then put a good set of shocks on it. I believe you'll find that will help you more than the polyurethane stuff will if you're on a budget.

 

jwzg

Member

Apr 6, 2004

237

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16

Prattville, AL

Aug 11, 2004

#9

• Aug 11, 2004

• #9

I agree with Michael as bracing needs to be the first thing addressed. As for urethane, my suggestion is to get the urethane for the front and leave the rear alone for now if you are on a budget. Putting all urethane on the rear introduces problems. Read the following quote taken directly from Maximum Motorsports' site and you'll get a better picture.

Quote:

Wheel rate refers to the rate of roll stiffness as measured at the wheel. Total wheel rate is the sum of the swaybar wheel rate, the wheel rate of the springs, and the wheel rate of any suspension binding (restriction of movement).

Most aftermarket control arms use bushing designs which actually cause an increase in suspension bind.
To analyze the geometry involved, Maximum Motorsports used a full scale mock up of the rear suspension. When we tested other aftermarket control arms that had hard urethane bushings at each end, we found they increased the wheel rate by 400%. As little as a 10% change in wheel rate can noticeably affect the handling balance of the car.
So why does the wheel rate increase? In a 4-link suspension design, the control arms do not simply pivot, they also move sideways in an angular motion. If that angular motion is restricted because of a poor bushing design, the suspension will bind up. That binding increases wheel rate which in turn causes unpredictable performance – not to mention damage to the torque boxes.

In short, there are alternatives such as the rear control arms from MM. If it were mine, when I got the money I'd get a set of the FRPP HD upper control arms and a quality set of non-binding lowers before you waste time having to knock (or burn) out all of those rubber bushings, which is a monsterous PITA, and replacing them with an inferior functioning product. IMHO

 

Michael Yount

Mustang Master

Apr 10, 2002

9,039

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79

Charlotte, NC

Aug 11, 2004

#10

• Aug 11, 2004

• #10

"In a 4-link suspension design, the control arms do not simply pivot, they also move sideways in an angular motion."

THis is true in a non-parallel 4 link as used on Stangs and many older GM products where the lower bars are longitudinal, and the upper bars are angled to control lateral movement. It's not true for parallel 4 link systems that have a Panhard rod or Watts link to control lateral movement.

 

nito88stang

Founding Member

May 23, 2002

2,012

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46

Fullerton, California

Aug 11, 2004

#11

• Aug 11, 2004

• #11

K member brace and subframes did the most for me. Dont bother with a STB. As for shocks, the whole KYB setup is 150 i believe. I have it and am happy with it. Granted it doesnt ride like a cadillac but its way better than it was with the 15 yr old stock stuff.